Tied Down
by Mrs.Efron18
Summary: Zac and Vanessa get married, and have a daughter, named Aubrey Claire. This is HER story. Follow her as she discovers her love for music and singing, and as she uncovers the biggest family secret ever. A story of a girl and her dream.
1. Auditions

Vanessa's POV

**Hey! Okay so here is the first chapter of my new story! There isn't much to tell you since it's brand new, so I'll stop talking and let you get to reading. lol. Oh, the only thing you need to know is that in the present day (2024) section, the story will be told from Vanessa and Zac's daughter's point of view, unless you are told otherwise. Okay, well enjoy my story…and please review!**

_**Vanessa's POV**_

_**14 Years Ago**_ (note to self: Vanessa is 21 in this part of the story.)

"_You're leaving?" Ashley asked me as I took a sip of my caramel mocha from Starbuck's. I sighed and set my drink down, and reached up to tuck a piece of my dark, curly hair behind my ear, my diamond engagement ring glittering in the sunlight that came through the kitchen window of my condo._

"_Yes, Ash…I'm leaving; Zac and I are both leaving." I explained calmly; Ashley looked as if she was going to be sick. _

"_But…but…but why, V?" she stumbled trying to get the words out. She looked at me, her caramel colored eyes filling with tears. _

"_Ash, for one thing, I'm sick of the pressure that comes with this business, and I never have any privacy…Zac and I never get any time alone." Ashley nodded her head slowly from where she sat. I placed my hands on my stomach, "Plus, I do not want to raise my baby here. I just want this baby to live a normal life, free from the spotlight." _

"_What are you going to do if your baby wants to be in the spotlight? Are you planning on telling it that you and Zac were once the two most recognizable people in the world?" she threw out a few more questions, things that Zac and I had already discussed._

"_Zac and I have decided to keep this entire thing a secret. We're going to pretend like none of this ever happened…" Ashley interrupted me._

"_Never happened? What about me? Nessa, you're my best friend. You promised I could meet the baby…you promised I'd be the godmother." a tear slowly trickled down her check. _

"_Ashley, you will be the godmother. I promised you that; I can't imagine a better godmother for this baby, but I don't want the baby in L.A. or anywhere near Hollywood. We aren't moving too far away; we found a nice house in Burbank, it's just outside Hollywood, and about a forty-five minute drive from L.A. Is that okay?" I asked, Ash wiped away another tear, her make-up beginning to smudge._

"_Only forty-five minutes?" she sniffled. _

"_Yeah, Ash. Only forty-five minutes, and that's when there is traffic. It won't even take you an hour to get there." I handed her a tissue, and she blew her nose. _

"_I guess that's okay then. You promise you'll keep in touch?" she asked, taking another tissue. "And I can come to visit?"_

"_Of course, Ashley! You can come to visit every single day, if that makes you happy. I'm not just going to forget about you; you're my best friend. You're family. Zac feels the same way. You're welcome any time at our house." a smile spread across her face. I smiled back at her. I checked my watch, and sighed. I had to finish packing. _

"_When are you leaving?" she asked when she saw me checking my watch. _

"_Zac already paid for the house in Burbank and he wanted to be packed by Monday and moving to the house by Wednesday." I got up and threw my empty Starbuck's away._

"_Oh…do you need any help?" she offered._

"_If you want to help, sure. Zac has been doing most of it; he doesn't want me lifting too much stuff because of the baby, so we aren't exactly on schedule for packing." I placed my hand on my stomach again as the baby began to kick._

"_Okay, I'd love to help. What do you need me to do?" she stood up, ready to get to work. I laugh, and lead her out of the room. _

"_Well, we already got the living room, dining room, and the two bedrooms packed up. I think that just leaves the kitchen and bathrooms." she nodded her head and grabbed some empty boxes and newspaper from the floor._

"_Let's get started." Ashley said, and we walked into the kitchen and began to pack. By the time Zac got home at five, we had everything in the entire house in boxes. _

"_Thanks for your help, Ash. She didn't lift anything too heavy, did she? She's been very stubborn about that when we're packing." Zac asked, and kissed the tip of my nose. I giggled. _

"_No problem, Zac. I was glad to be of help. I made sure she didn't lift anything heavier than three plates wrapped in newspaper." Ash answered, satisfied with herself._

"_Good job, Ash." Zac went over and gave her a hug. "V, looks like we might be able to leave before Wednesday now. Maybe on Monday." I heard Ashley sigh._

"_You wouldn't mind if Ashley and I did something tonight, would you Zac? I want the two of us to do something before we leave." I say, Ashley smiles brightly and her eyes sparkle. _

"_No, I wouldn't mind. It's your last Saturday night in L.A., go have fun." Zac kissed me once more, and then Ash and I were off. The city was ours. _

_**Monday Morning**_

_I stood outside, saying final good-byes to everyone – Ashley, Jared (Ashley's longtime boyfriend and soon-to-be husband), Corbin, Lucas, and Monique. We all knew this wasn't the last time we'd see each other, but it was still heartbreaking. I was in tears by the time I had said good-bye to Monique, Corbin, Jared and Lucas. Ashley stepped up to say good-bye last, her big brown eyes filled with tears. We looked into each others eyes for what felt like an eternity, and then she broke down in tears. I hugged her tight._

"_I'm gonna miss you, Nessa." she said through her hysteric tears. I felt the baby kick as I cried harder and harder. _

"_Come visit me." I managed to say through my cries. She looked at me and nodded. Backing out of the hug, we each wiped away tears. Zac came over, wrapping his arms around me. It was time to go. Climbing into the car, I waved good-bye to everyone. We pulled out of the driveway, passed the 'FOR SALE' sign, and down the street. My new life was beginning now. _

_**Present Day – 2024**_

"Aubrey…Aubrey, wake up." my mom yells as she bangs hard on my closed door. I roll over in bed, and pull the blankets tighter around me. "Bre…it's time for school…Aubrey Claire!" Sick of hearing her yell, I throw the blankets off, and get out of bed. She continues banging on the door.

"I'm up, mom!" I scream, finally bringing the banging and yelling to a halt. "God…" I hear her sigh loudly, and walk down the hall back to her room. "Ugh!" I fall back onto my bed, annoyed already, and the day had barely begun. I glance over at the clock; it was 6:35 AM. My closet was a mess; it was going to be next to impossible to find anything in here. After managing to find a pair of jeans and a baby doll top, I walk over to my vanity. Getting ready every morning took at least an hour, but I had so much to do: make-up, clothes, and fixing my hair; what else do you expect? I'm just like every other fourteen year old girl. Slinging my bag over my shoulder and looking at myself one more time in the mirror, I smile, and open my poster-covered bedroom door. I look down the hall; mom was already out of bed, which meant she was in the kitchen, making breakfast for me and coffee for my dad. She looks up as I enter the kitchen.

"Morning, sweetheart." she greets me sweetly. I roll my eyes, but don't let her see. Instead, I smile brightly and answer:

"Good Morning, Mom." I take a seat at the table, where a bowl of cereal is already waiting for me. I begin eating my cereal as my dad walks in, his hair ruffled from sleeping.

"Morning, Aubrey." he kisses the top of my head before taking a seat next to me. His piercing, ocean-blue eyes were cloudy from sleep. I brushed my light hair out of my eyes; light brown curls that made every other girl jealous. I was always told "You look exactly like your mother." The only difference in looks between us was that she had dark hair, and I had my father's light brown hair. I had to admit, I did look like my mom; I had her big, brown eyes and her curly hair. I guess it was okay that I looked like her, but did everyone have to constantly tell me that? It got so annoying.

A text message caused my phone to beep and vibrate once breakfast was over. I searched through my bag, trying to find it. When I had it in my hands, my mom said:

"Put the phone away, Aubrey." I looked up from the phone to meet her eyes.

"But why, mom? I have to leave now, anyway…" I complained; she hated it when I used my phone when I was around them, absolutely hated it. Slipping it into my pocket, I spoke again, "I'm gonna go. Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" and with that, I ran out the front door without a second glance back. My cell phone vibrated again, and I pulled it out to answer it. The front screen read **"NEW TXT MESSAGE FROM: Rayna"** I giggled to myself; Rayna was one of my very best friends, we text 24/7. Our conversations can go on for hours, and we never run out of things to say…ever. Flipping open the phone, I read the message.

**To: Aubrey **

**heyy girly! : what's up?**

I shook my head, laughing. I hit the reply button on my silver EnV.

**To: Rayna**

**not much, ray. walking to the bus stop. be there in five. you?**

I pushed send, and put the phone in my pocket; Rayna was already at the stop when I had gotten there. She didn't even notice me walk up; she was way too busy with her phone, texting, as usual. I coughed loudly after a minute, and she looked up.

"Hey Bre! I was just about to text you." she waved her phone, with a blank screen up, a message for me ready to be typed.

"Hey Ray. Well, I'm here, no reason to text me now." I laughed, and tucked a piece of curly hair behind my ear, and to my dismay, it fell back in front of my eyes. I groaned loudly. "God…I hate my hair."

"Why? I love your hair!" Rayna raved about my hair…once again. We had this conversation at least once a week. To sum it up, Rayna loved my curly hair, and I hated it. Rayna couldn't get her naturally straight hair to curl, no matter how hard she tried. And I was the exact opposite; I can never get my hair perfectly straight, it always curls on the bottom. The bus pulled up before we could finish our conversation, and in less than five minutes, we were at the school.

All through the halls, posters were hanging about every school activity you could imagine—football, hockey, dances, a student council meeting next Thursday…oh, and the one thing Rayna was excited about…the school's musical.

"Oh! Musical auditions are today!" Rayna squealed excitedly.

"So?" I rolled my eyes; this was all she'd been talking about for the past two weeks. 'The musical this….' or 'the musical that….'

"So! I've been practicing for this audition forever!" she told me, acting as if I should have known this. "Will you stay after school with me?"

"I guess…but I'm not auditioning." Rayna nodded her head, silently promising not to make me audition. We laughed, and headed down the hall for our first class…Spanish. Ugh.

After school, Rayna dragged me down the hall to the auditorium. The room was already filling up with students, mostly girls, all of them talking about how nervous they were. I looked at Rayna, she wasn't nervous at all; she doesn't get nervous, or so she tells me. One by one the director calls out student's names, and they audition. Once they had gotten to Rayna, we were the only two left in the room, besides the director.

"Good luck." I whispered to her as she walked up onto the stage, and began the scene she was auditioning with. Then she stopped acting, cued the pianist sitting to the left, and started to sing. She was amazing, but of course, I already knew that.

"Very good, Rayna." the director said once she had finished. She looked around, and saw me. "Well, you're the last one on the list…unless; your friend here wants to audition." I caught Rayna's eye quickly, and immediately knew what she was thinking.

"Well, if you want her to audition." Rayna said, clearly she had planned for this to happen. She ran down from her spot on the stage, grabbed my hand, and pushed me up the stairs to center stage, despite my protests. I looked nervously at the pianist; she smiled reassuringly. Knees shaking, I looked past the bright lights out into the auditorium at the director.

"I—I don't have anything prepared…I've never done this before…" I stumbled, trying to think of excuses for why I couldn't audition.

"Oh, it's okay, dear. Rachel, the pianist, has an extra audition monologue; you can use that, and she has the lyrics to the song. Just try your best." the director says sweetly from her place in the center of the room. I swallow hard as Rachel hands me the monologue. I read over it quickly, and without a second glance at the lines, I begin the scene. Once I knew what I was doing, the scene worked out perfectly. I walked over to Rachel's piano, and grabbed the sheet music.

"You can read music, right?" she asked.

"Yeah…I took piano from 2nd to 6th grade." I answered, she nodded. I stood still by the piano, and Rachel began playing. Slowly, I began to sing; starting off quiet and unsure, and then singing confidently, not once looking into the audience. The piano came to a stop, and I stopped singing. Rachel looked at me, her green eyes filled with surprise. From the audience, I heard clapping; I looked out to see Rayna and the director clapping. I could feel my face turning red; I walked down the stairs to my seat, embarrassed.

"How did you learn to sing like that?!" Rayna squealed excitedly when I walked over to grab my bag. "How come you never sing?"

"I don't know…" I answered; I just wanted to get out of here. Just as Rayna opened her mouth to ask another question, the director walked over to us, holding her clipboard.

"My dear, what is your name?" she asked me.

"Aubrey. Aubrey Miller." I said quietly.

_**Flashback**_

_**Vanessa's POV**_

"_Zac, you realize we need to change our last name?" I said as we were driving to our new house. He looked at me, and I continued. "I mean, 'Efron' isn't exactly a common name. People are bound to figure out who we are. It's probably a good idea to change our last name."_

"_You're probably right, V." he answered. "What do you think we should change it to?" I hadn't thought about what we should change it to. I sat in the passenger seat, hand on my stomach, and thought about what our new name should be._

"_Well, it needs to be something common. Something that won't draw attention." I said. _

"_What about 'Miller'?" Zac suggested._

"_That'll work." I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Mr. and Mrs. Zac Miller, and our soon to be daughter, Aubrey Claire Miller." _

"Well, Aubrey Miller; I don't think we've been properly introduced. I am Mrs. Jenkins, the drama teacher, and the director of this school's musical." Mrs. Jenkins introduced herself, and reached out to shake my hand.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Jenkins." I smiled sweetly, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Aubrey, you are a very talented young lady. Have you ever sang or acted before this?" she asked.

"No…this is the very first time. Why?" I asked, ignoring her first comment.

"Because you were absolutely brilliant. I find it hard to believe you've never auditioned for the musical." Mrs. Jenkins waved her arms theatrically. "If you're interested, there is certainly a role open for you."

"Well…I…I don't know…" I started, but Rayna cut me off.

"Bre, you have to do this! You're amazing!" her blue-grey eyes were filled with excitement.

"I guess I could. What musical is it anyway?" I asked, unaware of what musical I was even offering to perform in.

"Oh! This year, our school will be performing 'High School Musical'. Have you ever seen it?" Mrs. Jenkins informed me; I was utterly confused. I had never even heard of this musical.

"Um…no." I answered. Rayna and Mrs. Jenkins gasped in unison.

"Well, it's a movie, so you will have to watch it to become familiar with the characters and plot. I already have a character in mind for you." Mrs. Jenkins responded.

"Okay. Which character?" I questioned curiously.

"Gabriella Montez, the main character. You'd be perfect for her!" she overly exaggerated her answer.

"What about Sharpay? Who do you think you're going to give that part to?" Rayna asked. Sharpay was the part she wanted; she practiced forever to get the character perfect.

"Well, Rayna, since you're my most dedicated cast member, I'll tell you." she said; Rayna smiled, and tried to stay calm. "I'm most likely giving it to you." Rayna squealed loudly in my ear.

Rayna and I left the school, and her mom took me home. I let myself in, to find my mom and dad sitting in the living room watching the news.

"Hey Mom! Hey Dad!" I said happily, and walked over to hug each both of them. I sat down in my favorite chair by the giant window that overlooked our front yard and garden.

"Hi sweetheart. How was your day?" my mom asked.

"It was good. I auditioned for the school's musical, and the director said I was amazing. She's giving me the lead! Can you believe it? It was the first time I had ever even sang!" I told my parents happily. I was still in shock; I just couldn't believe it!

"That's great, Aubrey. Congratulations." dad answered. Mom sat there, silent. "What musical are they doing?"

"Some musical called 'High School Musical'. Mrs. Jenkins, the director, said I'm going to be Gabriella Montez. She wants me to watch the movie. Could you pick it up for me, Daddy?" I spoke fast and excited. Mom was frozen on the couch, staring into space.

**Well, how was it? It was just the first chapter, and it's bound to have some little mistakes in there. Remember, Aubrey knows NOTHING about her parents' career or about "High School Musical". She's never even seen the movie. Well, keep your eyes open for the next chapter. In the meantime, reviews make me happy!**


	2. Phone Calls

**here it is! chapter two of Tied Down. thanks so much to all those wonderful people who left reviews for the first chapter! i loved reading them! you guys are the best! still nothing much to tell you about the story, so i'm going to stop, and just let you read. please review when you're done reading! **

_**Aubrey's POV**_

"So you can pick up the movie, right Dad?" I asked him again. Mom hadn't said anything yet; Dad looked over at her and took her hand.

"Aubrey, sweetie, can you go upstairs to your room?" he said softly, talking to me like I was a four year old again; like that day I had accidentally broke my mom's favorite vase that belonged to her mother.

"Okay…sure…" I answered, a bit annoyed and completely confused. I grabbed my bag, and turned to leave the room. Walking up the stairs, I peered back down at my parents sitting on the couch; Mom caught me staring, and I noticed something in her eyes that had never once been there…fear. I swallowed hard and walked up to my room, not looking back. Sitting on my bed, I click a button on my remote that turns on my iPod. Leaning back on my pillows, a song began to play; a song that I hadn't heard since I was really young. I used to sit on my dad's lap at night on our back porch when I would wake up from a nightmare crying, and he'd play this song while we looked at the stars. I knew every word, but I never sang it. As the chorus of the song began, I close my eyes and sing the song softly…

_Come stop your crying  
It will be all right  
Just take my hand Hold it tight_

_I will protect you  
from all around you  
I will be here  
Don't you cry_

_For one so small,  
you seem so strong  
My arms will hold you,  
keep you safe and warm  
This bond between us  
Can't be broken  
I will be here  
Don't you cry_

_'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more_

I thought back to the way my mom reacted when I told her about the musical, and about my part in High School Musical. What was that musical, anyway? I've never even heard of it. She looked so afraid when I saw her sitting on the couch, like a little kid during a thunderstorm. I had never seen her like that, and even though my mom and I didn't get along, it still scared me ever so slightly that she was afraid. Just then, I heard a knock on my door; I looked up to see my dad standing in the doorway. He walked over and sat down on my bed, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"Ah…I remember this song." he said; something in the sound of his voice worried me. We sat together, listening to the song, just as we had done years ago. Finally the song ended, and we sat in silence. "Come on, Aubrey. It's time for dinner." We walked downstairs to find the table set, and Mom ready to eat. Once we were all seated, we sat in silence for the longest time, and then Dad spoke.

"Aubrey, sweetheart. Your mother and I were talking about this musical of yours, and we've come to a conclusion." he said; I looked up at him, his blue eyes saying so much, much more than I could handle. I fidgeted uneasily in my seat. "We are both very proud of you, but we aren't sure we want you to participate in the musical…"

"You can't do that!!" I threw my fork down, stood up, and screamed.

"Aubrey Claire! Sit down right now! I will not have you talking to us like that." my father said. I was shocked. He never raised his voice at me.

"No! Why can't I do the musical?! Why can't I?" I yelled even louder than before, pounding my hands on the table.

"Because we said so, that's why!" he yelled backed, his face turning red from anger.

"That's not fair!!" I screamed back at him. Just as he opened his mouth to say something else, my mother, who had been silent this entire time, spoke.

"Both of you! Stop it!" she yelled, "I will not sit here and watch you two yell at each other. Aubrey, you're not allowed to do the musical. That's final." My face was red and my eyes burned with tears threatening to fall. I bit my lip, hard, and ran out of the room, slamming my door once I had gotten to my room.

Hot tears ran down my face. Big, heaving sobs causing me to shake violently. Why would they do this? I was so angry…I couldn't believe they would do this! Well, Mom would do something like this, but never Dad…never him. I reached over and grabbed my cell, and hit the speed dial for the one person who always knew what to say when my parent's were being unfair.

"Aunt Ash?" I sobbed when she answered. I heard her sigh on the other line.

"Oh, Aubrey. What's wrong?" she said sympathetically. I cried even harder at the sound of her voice. "Oh…shh…come on, Peanut…what happened?"

"My…parents…are…so…unfair!" I managed to say through my hysteric tears. I swallowed, took a breath, and said clearly, "I hate them! They won't let me do the musical! I absolutely hate them!"

"Aubrey, what musical?" she questioned, confused.

"I auditioned for my school's musical…'High School Musical' and I got the lead, but my parents won't let me do the musical!" I heard Aunt Ash gasp, and whisper something that I couldn't understand.

"Um…Aubrey, I'm so sorry, but I have to go." she finally said, her voice shaky and worried. "I love you, Peanut. Bye." and just like that, she hung up. I buried my face into my pillows and cried harder than ever before.

_**Vanessa's POV**_

"Ash, what am I suppose to do? You and I both know what will happen if she sees that movie…if she's in that musical." I say exasperated as I hear my daughter crying down the hall, just as she has been since she ran out of the room during dinner. Sighing loudly, I run my fingers through my dark, curly hair.

"Nessa, you can't keep her from something she loves. We all knew this would happen eventually." my best friend responds calmly, "She was bound to come across it at some point, and question it. Just saying 'because I said so' isn't going to work as an excuse this time. You and Zac both knew keeping this a secret wouldn't work forever, V."

"I know, but I wanted her out of the spotlight. I didn't want her to live the life I lived…" my words drifted at the end; a picture of Aubrey on Zac's shoulders at the zoo caught my eye. Things were so simple back then, when Aubrey believed everything…when she was young and innocent. Her big, brown eyes stared back at me, and I sighed once more; telling her the truth was going to be one of the hardest things I ever do.

"But Vanessa, what if she wants this life? What if she wants the spotlight? Aubrey is stubborn, like Zac, and headstrong, like me. If this is something she wants, she isn't going to let you or Zac stand in her way." Ashley's voice was calm and serious. A part of me knew she was right; I just didn't want to believe that part. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was past midnight.

"Ashley, I know…me and Zac will find a way to handle this…I'm going to go, Ash. Talk to you later." I said, ending our hour long conversation.

"Okay, bye, Ness." Ashley answered, and hung up. I fell back onto my bed, and covered my eyes with my hands. The door opens, and I look up as my husband walks in and sits down next to me. Kissing my forehead, he starts to talk.

"Vanessa, what are we going to do?" he asks, running his fingers through his light brown hair.

"I have no idea, Zac." I say, closing my eyes; trying to hold back tears of my own. I rest my head on his shoulder, and he plays with my hair.

"She's going to figure it out soon, V. Keeping her from doing this musical is only making it worse. Just let her do the musical like I told you…if she wants this, we can't stop her." he said, sounding just like Ashley.

"I know, Zac…you're right. I guess we can let her do this…but how are we going to tell her about our careers?" I answered, finally giving in.

"We'll figure that out when the time comes." he said, and with one last kiss good night, we fell asleep, our daughter still crying down the hall. . .


	3. UPDATE! :

**Omg. I am so sorry everyone! I've had writer's block for the past few weeks, and haven't been able to write. And when I finally got an idea for the next chapter, it was when I was on vacation…which is where I am now…and I don't have my file here with the beginning of the next chapter on it. So, I'm going to finish it as soon as I get back and post it on here! Well, actually, I'll have to post it after I finish my summer assignments…yes; I have homework during the summer…that's high school, for ya. So, within the next week or two, I'll have the next chapter posted, and possibly a new story! I got a great idea the other night, and I'm gonna have a new story. And…I'm probably going to stop writing my Troyella story…I got bored with it. Sorry to all of the people who like it! Hopefully, you like my other stories and maybe you'll like the new one I'm going to post. Okay, so I'm going to go! Keep an eye out for the next chapter, and my new story!! I love you guys! **

**Xoxo**

**Cassy**


	4. Surprises

Okay, here we go again

**Okay, here we go again. Lol. Sorry for taking so long with this...I've had writer's block. Oh, and before I start, just in case any of you were wondering, the song that Aubrey was singing in the last chapter was "You'll be in my Heart" by Phil Collins. Alright. Moving forward…here's the next chapter of Tied Down: **

_**Aubrey's POV**_

Eyes burning, I wipe tears from my make-up covered cheeks. Pulling the quilt my grandmother made tighter around my shoulders, I get out of my bed. Cautiously, I open the door; peering down the hall before walking down the stairs. The grandfather clock in the family room chimes loudly as the clock strikes two. With my quilt dragging along the floor behind me, I open the door to our back porch, and sit down on the hammock on the far left of the porch. The cool December air blowing through my messy brown hair. I bring my knees to my chest and hug them tight, the sent of lavender and laundry soap filling my nose as I bury my face in my flannel, plaid, red pajama pants. I look up at the pure black sky, and the thousands of stars twinkling above my head. I sit in the silence of the night, taking in the stillness and emptiness, for what feels like an hour before getting off the hammock, and turning to go back into the house. Looking up one last time, I watch as a star shoots across the sky; I squeeze my eyes shut and make a wish. Sighing, I walk into the house and close the door. The old oak stairs squeak as I walk up them, going back into my room. Falling back onto my bed, I close my eyes, and slowly cry myself to sleep…

I wake up the next morning at eleven o'clock with a massive headache from crying the night before. Sitting up in bed, I remember it's Saturday; the smell of pancakes soon fills my room from the kitchen downstairs. Usually, I would be jumping out of bed to go help my dad make the pancakes, but this morning, I was mad at him. Pushing off my pink bedspread, I walk over to my vanity and make a disgusted face as I look at the face staring back at me in the mirror. I looked awful; my mascara and eyeliner, which was supposedly waterproof, had run down my cheeks in thick, black lines, and my curly hair was matted to one side of my face. I got up, and walked into my private bathroom, turning the shower on, making it as hot as possible without burning myself. I step into the shower, and feel the hot water wash away the black stains that covered my face. After being positive I was completely clean, I turned off the water, and grabbed my robe off the hook on the wall and slipped into the flannel material of the robe. Once I had changed, I walked downstairs wearing my favorite pair of Delia's jeans and a gray T-shirt from American Eagle with the eagle and the number 77 in the bottom right corner, and the letters AE in cursive writing at the top left.

I walk into the kitchen, and take my seat at the breakfast table where my parents are already sitting. Ignoring the presence of my parents, I reach over and put three pancakes on my plate. Dad coughs as he cuts his pancakes, and Mom shifts nervously in her seat.

"Aubrey, your mother and I have something to tell you." my father said once we had all finished our pancakes. I look up, giving him my signature glare that is usually saved for my mother, and then look back down. "Aubrey…" he sighs loudly.

"Aubrey Claire." Mom said sternly, talking to me like I was a toddler again. I look up, giving in, but still glaring at the two of them. "That's it, Aubrey! You are not doing anything the weekend of the musical!" I felt tears form in my eyes once again, threatening to fall at the sound of anger in her voice.

"Because…" my father said, completing Mom's sentence, "Our little girl will be performing every night in a musical that's very special to both your mother and I." I look at the two of them, completely shocked. I felt a single tear roll down my cheek; they can't be serious? Can they?

"Are you—are you serious?" I sniffled, and wiped tears from my eyes, "I can do the musical?" They nodded their heads, smiles on their faces; I felt a smile grow bigger and bigger on my face. I stood up, and ran over to give them both a hug. "Thank-you! Thank-you so much!" I excuse myself from the table, and run up to my room; jumping on my bed, squealing.

_**Monday Morning**_

The halls were filled with chatter early on Monday morning. Christmas break was next week, and everyone was excited; but the students weren't just talking about that this morning. I walked down the hall, ignoring everyone talking, heading for my locker. My ballet flats clicked against the tile floors of the school; with books and binders in hand, I try to make my way through the student-filled hallway. Running into someone, I trip and my books and papers scatter in every direction. As I'm picking them up, another hand comes down and helps me stand. I feel my face bush a deep shade of scarlet as I look into the emerald green eyes of the boy who helped me up. It was Ben, Ben Czarnecki; the boy I'd been in love with since the fifth grade.

"You okay?" he asked, handing me the binders he picked up for me, and smiling that smile that made my heart melt.

"I'm—I'm fine. Thanks." I smiled back at him; my heart beating faster and faster every second.

"No problem." Ben said when someone called his name. He turned around, and saw Nick Jones, his best friend. Turning back to me, he said: "Well, I'll see you later, Aubrey."

"Right. Okay. Bye Ben." I said as he smiled and walked away. He knows my name, I thought. Leaning against the nearest locker, I sigh and daydream as the hallway clears out around me.

"Bre…Bre…Aubrey?" someone waves their hand in front of my face; I blink and come back to reality. Standing in front of me is Rayna, looking confused. "Are you okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah…um…I'm fine…I'm perfectly fine." I answer, still caught in a daydream.

"Um…okay?" she says, unsure. When she sees I'm not talking, she continues: "Did you see? They posted the cast list." I forget nearly everything when I hear those magic words.

"They did?" I ask; Rayna nods. "Where is it?"

"Come on…I'll show you." and we walk over to the bulletin board by the office. "Right there." Rayna points to the middle of the board, and in big, bold letters the names of the main cast have been posted. My mouth dropped when I saw my name was second on the list…I knew I was getting the part, but I was still shocked by it.

**Clark High School presents: **

**HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL**

**Cast**

**Troy Bolton……Josh Stein**

**Gabriella Montez……Aubrey Miller**

**Sharpay Evans……Rayna Peters**

**Ryan Evans……Bryan Carmen**

**well, there it is. i know it's short...and it's not that great, but hey...it's still a chapter. lol. the next one shouldnt take as long, and keep an eye out for possibly two new stories!**


	5. Conversations

_**Aubrey's POV**_

The lunch room was louder than usual today; everyone was talking about the upcoming holiday break, different sports, concerts that were coming to town soon…but one topic coming from a group of girls at the table next to me had caught my attention.

"…what ever happened to them?" a blonde girl said. "They were once super famous…my older sister and her friends were obsessed with them when they were younger. I can't help, but wonder what happened to them." What was she talking about? Well, _who _was she talking about was more like it.

"I know! My cousin was in love with the guy who played Troy! My uncle told me that she once told him she was planning on marrying him one day!" the brunette told her friends, and they all laughed.

"My sister told me that the press said the guy ended up getting her pregnant and she insisted on leaving L.A. immediately. They're best friends from L.A. are the only ones who know where they are now, and they won't talk to the press about it at all." a girl with short dark hair said; she was from my math class, her name was Nikki.

"Wow. How old was she anyway?" the blonde girl asked.

"Um…I think my cousin said she was like, twenty-one." the brunette answered, "Why, Kate? What are you thinking?"

"I was just trying to figure out how old their kid would be." Kate responded.

"If I did the math right, their kid would be our age…give or take a few months." Nikki told the group; this made them even more excited. Who on Earth were they talking about?!

"Oh, my God. If they had a boy, imagine how hot he would be!" the brunette squealed; Nikki rolled her eyes, and Kate laughed.

"Taylor, is that all you think about? Boys?" Kate said jokingly, still laughing. Taylor shook her head.

"No, I'm just saying…my cousin said this guy was drop-dead gorgeous…if they had a boy, he's bound to look like the dad." Taylor said with a huge smile on her face.

"Some tabloid said they had a girl. They caught Ashley talking about how her best friend was living a great life with her loving husband and beautiful daughter…everyone knows that V is her best friend." Kate stated with an as-a-matter-of-fact look on her face. Ashley? V? The guy who played Troy? What? Come on, give me some answers!!

"I heard someone say they changed their last name, and moved to here, to Burbank. Imagine: Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens' daughter could be at our school right now!" Nikki nearly screamed with excitement. I shook my head; this conversation was hopeless. Just a bunch of teenage girl talk about celebrities. I turned back to Rayna.

"Who is Zac Efron?" I asked her. She nearly chocked on her lunch when I had asked.

"You don't know who Zac Efron is?" She said slowly; I shook my head. "Were you living under a rock or something? Everyone knows who Zac Efron is!"

"Well, I must have been living under a rock because I've never heard of Zac Efron." I said. Rayna looks at me like I'm crazy. "What about Vanessa Hudgens? Who's that?"

"Oh, my God! How do you not know who they are?!" Rayna screamed; I shrugged, "Have you never heard of High School Musical?"

"No. I told you that already." I said. She sighed, exasperated.

"What about the remake of Hairspray? Or Summerland? Or Rock On? Any of these ring a bell?" Rayna sat there and listed different movies and TV shows.

"I've never heard of any of them, Ray." I said quietly.

"Ugh! Well, fine. Since you don't know, I'll have to tell you." Rayna started, "Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens were two of the biggest stars in Hollywood fourteen years ago. The movie High School Musical was what made them famous. They were basically the most famous teen idols at the time, but then they disappeared suddenly, with out any explanation. They're High School Musical co-stars are the only people who know where they are. A tabloid said that they left because Zac got Vanessa pregnant; Vanessa's best friend confirmed that later on, and said that she was living a great life with her husband and a beautiful daughter. Some people say they moved to Burbank and changed their last name."

"Oh, wow." I said after taking everything in. This was the weirdest celebrity story I had ever heard. "So, their daughter could be going to our school?"

"Yeah, basically, but I bet she doesn't even know the truth about her parents." Rayna answered as she got up to throw her trash away. "Well, as much as I'd love to sit and talk about this, I have to get to class. I'll talk to you later, Bre!" she laughed and walked out of the room. After finishing my lunch, I walked out of the cafeteria and down the hall.

_**Six o'clock at Aubrey's house**_

I sat down at the table later that night, and looked at Mom and Dad. We weren't fighting anymore now that they were letting me do the musical, so I wasn't glaring at either of them today. Picking the cooked carrots out of the pile of mixed vegetables on my plate, I look up at Mom.

"Is Aunt Ash coming in for Christmas this year?" I ask as I take out the last carrot.

"Yeah, she's coming in on Friday. She's gonna pick you up from school early, and do some stuff with you." Mom says, and a smile spreads across my face. I hadn't seen Aunt Ash in months, and I couldn't wait to see her. She was like my older sister, or my second mom.

After finishing up with dinner, I was laying on my bed thinking about all the stuff Rayna and the girls had said at lunch today. If everyone knew about Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, why didn't I?

_**Vanessa's POV**_

"Ash, what am I going to do?" I sighed, flopping down on my bed, landing in a mess of pillows and blankets. I closed my eyes, and ran my fingers through my dark curls.

"V, you knew this was gonna happen." Ashley said quietly over the phone. It was quarter after twelve, and she was trying not to wake up an already sleeping Jared. After a long pause, she said: "I think you should tell her over the Holiday break."

"What? Ash! How do you expect me to do that?" I asked frantically. "She'll hate me even more once she finds out I've been lying to her all these years!"

"Vanessa, she won't hate you." Ashley answered calmly, "If you want, I'll tell her. I can explain everything to her. You and Zac can go on a vacation this holiday, okay?"

"How are we suppose to get tickets for a plane this late in the holiday season?" I asked slightly confused.

"Easily." she stated simply, "Your best friend in the entire world already bought them. You and Zac are leaving Friday night at seven o'clock for Hawaii. Everything is paid for; hotel, rental car, plane tickets…everything."

"What…Ash? I can't go on a vacation. Who will stay with Aubrey?" I had so many questions.

"Nessa, I will stay with Aubrey. You are going on that vacation. I've already bought everything…please? Will you go for me?" Ash said; practically begging.

"Fine." I sighed; finally giving in.

"Yay!" Ashley cheered, and I heard her clap her hands. "I'll be in Friday morning, I'll pick Aubrey up from school, and then we'll take you to the airport. Well, I'm going to go. See you then! Oh! This is gonna be so much fun!" we hung up. I sighed and though to myself. This was not going to end well…

**hahah i'm so evil. lol. well, i'm gonna be really busy with school and such, but i'll try to get on and update whenever i can. in the meantime, reviews make me happy!**


	6. Unaswered Question

hey guys

**hey guys! omg, I'm so so soooo sorry! I've been crazy busy lately with school and rehearsals and meetings and well, life…I haven't had much time for this story! I'm trying my best to keep up, but you have to understand that I'm busy. thanks so much to all of you who still read this story and leave reviews! I love you guys!**

_**Aubrey's POV**_

I squinted against the bright lights that shined down on me from every direction as the piano picked up again. A voice soon joined the piano, and I looked over shyly at Josh, the guy who would be playing Troy Bolton. He was a sophomore, and I never would have suspected him to be in a musical; with short, messy brown hair and hazel eyes, Josh was the kind of guy who tried out for every sport…and always made it. And don't get me wrong, it's not like he's not good at singing and acting because he is…I just never would have thought of him to be the type of guy to do something like this. Today was our third rehearsal; we were already working on our first song: Start of Something New.

_Livin' in my own world_

_Didn't understand_

_That anything can happen_

_When you take a chance_

His voice was so perfect; it came so naturally for him. This being the first time I heard him sing, I nearly forgot to join in, being so dazed by his amazing voice.

_I never believed in _

_What I couldn't see_

_I never opened my heart_

_To all the possibilities_

Clapping came from the center of the auditorium once we had finished the song. The two of us looked out to see Mrs. Jenkins, Rayna, and Bryan smiling and cheering. I could feel my face turning bright red, partly from the hot lights, but mostly because of this sudden attention to the talent that I was never aware of.

"Wonderful! Great job, Aubrey and Josh!" Mrs. Jenkins came walking up the aisle to the stage with her clipboard in her hand. "The two of you are unbelievable! Josh, you sang magnificently. And Aubrey, you sounded like an angel!" I smiled softly, feeling slightly proud of myself.

As Tuesday's rehearsal came to an end, Rayna and I walked out of the auditorium to wait for Rayna's parents to pick us up. The cool December air whipped light brown curls around my face in every direction. Rayna sat quietly, MP3 player in hand and headphones in her ears, running her fingers through her straight blonde hair.

"So, what are you doing over the weekend?" Rayna said after several minutes of silence, pulling her headphones out, and sticking her MP3 player into her Hollister messenger bag.

"My aunt is coming in for Christmas. Well, she isn't really my aunt…she's my mom's best friend, and I've known her my entire life…so, she's basically my aunt. She's picking me up from school on Friday and we're taking my parents to the airport; then she's gonna stay with me until my parents get back." I explained with a smile on my face; Aunt Ash and I were going to spend an entire week together. Without my mother there to spoil our fun.

"That sounds like fun." she said simply. "Who's your aunt?"

"Oh, my Aunt Ash." I said, not really thinking; just way too excited to care what was coming out of my mouth. "She lives in L.A. She used to be famous, but she doesn't do much acting and stuff anymore. Mainly commercials...some guest starring...nothing major." Rayna nodded her head, suddenly interested.

"That's so cool! Who is she? What movies has she done? Can I--" she stopped talking when she saw the look on my face; "You can't answer my questions, can you?"

"I...nobody has ever told me" I answered quietly.

"Why not?" she asked slightly confused. "If she's your aunt, shouldn't you know?"

"My mom and dad told me that it wasn't important, and that I didn't need to know." I shrugged, "I'm not allowed to ask questions." It was just one of those things that I had so many questions about, but no one would ever answer. Welcome to my life, I guess; my entire life was basically an unanswered question.

"That's weird." she said, "I would be searching everywhere, trying to find an answer of some sort. It would bother me not knowing...especially since you don't even know why you aren't allowed to know."

"Yeah...it bothers me, but I guess I've just come to except it." I answered as I slung my blue bag over my shoulder, silver EnV in hand, as Rayna's mom's car pulled up in front of us. The conversation was dropped once we entered the car, and we began talking about today's rehearsal. Several minutes later, we were in front of my house; I jumped out of the car and waved good-bye just as it began to rain. I watched the car drive away until I couldn't see it anymore, and stood in the rain until lightning struck. At the sound of the sharp crack, I sprinted into the house; it wasn't that I was afraid of thunder storms...I just had some pretty bad memories that involved lightning.

"Is that you, Bre?" I heard my mom call from upstairs. She was getting things organized for their vacation.

"Yeah, Mom!" I stood in the doorway, dripping wet from the rain and shivering from the cold air from our air conditioner. Kicking off my Old Navy flip-flops on the mat by the door, I stepped onto the soft, beige carpeting that covered the hallway and family room in our house. I heard a door slam upstairs, and turned to see my mom coming down the stairs.

"Aubrey..." she sighed, "Why are you dripping wet?"

"I got caught in the rain?" I said slowly, trying to hide a small smile. It got quiet; I could practically hear the water from my clothes and hair hitting the ground.

"Go change. You're gonna get sick." she commanded. I walked passed her with my head down, not making eye contact. I heard her sigh, and head into the kitchen to get a towel to clean up the water that now sat in a puddle in front of the doorway. My mom was always cleaning; it was kind of an obsession. I laughed quietly to myself as I watched her get on her knees to clean up the puddle, and then turned to walk up the stairs. Opening my door, I stepped into my disaster-zone room; clothes, clean and dirty, covered the floor, along with papers and magazines and multiple pairs of shoes. I scrambled to find a decent shirt and some jeans, and attempted to fix my hair to look somewhat presentable. I sighed angrily and tossed my hair brush onto the dresser; whatever, my hair was a lost cause anyway. After looking once more at the mirror, and accepting that I look awful, I walked out the door and down the stairs.

**I know, I know. It's not that long again (and if you ask me, it isn't that good, either), and I'm so sorry about that. I promise you the next chapter will be longer. My friend Victoria gave me a really good idea for the next chapter, so I'm gonna use it. Lol. You'll see what it is soon! I just hope you like it! Well, you know what makes me happy…but in case you forgot: PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Update!

**Hey everyone! I believe I owe an apology to all of you! I have been so unbelievably busy lately; with school, different auditions & shows, family issues, upcoming holidays…and well, life! It's been really hard to keep up with everything. Well, I have two announcements.**

**First, I know you all are waiting patiently for the next chapter of Tied Down, and I thank-you so much for being patient and not getting angry with me. Lol. On the subject of Tied Down, I should probably inform you on what's happening with that. For the next chapter, my friend suggested that I write it from Aubrey's friend Rayna's point of view, and I have been trying to do that…but I can't seem to be able to change voices for writing. When I write it, it still sounds like Aubrey. So, my friend, Victoria (who Rayna is based off), is going to write it for me! It should be interesting to see how this chapter turns out. Hope you're all excited! Lol. The chapter should be out soon…Victoria is trying her best. Just please remain patient!**

**Secondly, I am in the midst of writing a new story! You're excited, right? Lol. I know I am! Well, let me give you a little background information. Hm…basically, it's an alternate version of my story **_**At Last.**_** If you haven't read it, that's okay. **

**This version is written soooo much better…but it lacks the lovey dovey Troyella stuff you all love. You'll see what I mean later. **

**Well, that's it!**

**Again, I'm really sorry!**

**xoxo**

**Cassy**


	8. Something New

**I'm backkkkkk! (: hello all! I know, I know.. it's been a while, but I'm back and ready to continue with Aubrey's story! Lol. But there's something I need to tell everyone.. after I posted the last chapter, I got a review saying that I was breaking the rules of this site by posting this story because I'm using real people's names. For the record, I'd like to point out that nearly everyone on this site uses real people in their stories. So, whoever is reporting me, I'd like you to go and look up some of the other stories, because trust me, you'll find them. I'm just letting all of you know about me being reported, because if this story gets deleted, I wanted you to know why. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't! And…on with the new chapter!**

_**Aubrey's POV**_

_**Thursday Afternoon **_

I looked around the dimly lit room before deciding it was clear, and I could enjoy the company of my thoughts in peace. Walking down the center isle, I run my fingers across the red velvet of the theater chairs. Spotlights light the empty black stage; a piano sits in the center, untouched since our last rehearsal. My black ballet flats click against the wooden stage floor as I walk to the baby grand piano, and sit down on the smooth, black bench. Sighing, my fingertips gently brush the white, ivory keys; _could I remember the song? _I began playing the song before the thought was finished. Now the question was, did I still now the words? And just like that, the words came out:

_We were strangers  
Starting out on a journey  
Never dreaming  
What we'd have to go through  
Now here we are  
And I'm suddenly standing  
At the beginning with you_

_No one told me  
I was going to find you  
Unexpected  
What you did to my heart  
When I lost hope  
You were there to remind me  
This is the start_

A sudden crash from the back of the auditorium as a door slammed close made me miss the next key, stopping the song entirely. I looked up, startled; _no one comes in here during the day…who could be here now? _My eyes darted back and forth, searching the seats, but I couldn't see past the first three rows, blinded by the stage lights. "Hello? Who's there?"

"Someone. Who's singing?" the voice answered, still not stepping past the back rows of the dark room; whoever it was knew I couldn't see past a certain extent.

"That depends…who's asking?" I retorted. I saw the shadow move forward down the aisle.

"Well, don't stop singing, just because I'm here." the figure took a few more steps, nearly into the light, it laughed. Well, it was a guy, but who? Josh? Bryan?

"No." I responded, brushing my fingers against the keys once again. "Unless I know who you are, I'm not singing." I kept my eyes on the piano, not looking up.

"Look up, then." he took one more step, finally in the light. He smiled as I looked up. Even under the already hot lights, I could feel my face turning that deep shade of scarlet it turns whenever I see those gorgeous, green eyes… "Hi, Aubrey."

"I…uh…hi, Ben." _God, I sound so stupid…_ He walked up the stairs, located at center stage, and walked over to the piano. Leaning over the top, resting his folded arms on the slick, black surface, I had no choice but to look up. "What are you doing here?"

"I was at my locker…it's just outside here. Didn't feel like going to lunch." he said, ever so casually. He pushed his blonde hair out of the way of his eyes, shimmering more than usual beneath the bright lights. "I was about to walk away, when I heard you singing. But the question is, what are you doing here?"

"Oh. I just…didn't want to go to lunch today. I needed some quiet, I guess." I answered, looking down again. My face was still bright red, I could feel it. I reached up, pushing my bangs behind my ears; also, brushing my cool fingers against my red-hot face. _Why did I have to blush so easily? I must look like a complete idiot._ "So, do you know the song? The one I was singing, I mean?"

"Yeah, actually." my head snapped up when he said that. The shocked expression on my face have must been amusing to him; he laughed, the laugh that sounded like music. "My mom loves that musical…well, any musical, really. She used to make me take piano lessons, and the teacher made me sing along, so it was kind of like a singing and piano lesson in one. I know the harmonies to that song."

"I don't believe you." I said, smiling. He took my smile as a challenge.

"Then move over. May I?" he walked over to the bench as I did as he said. I nodded, and he took his place next to me. "You start, I'll join in. Ready? Go." I sat there; stunned as he played the introduction to the song I had become so accustomed to singing. I started, and he joined in, just as he promised. Then we reached my favorite part:

_Life is a road  
And I want to keep going  
Love is a river  
I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road_

_Now and forever  
Wonderful journey_

I'll be there  
When the world stops turning  
I'll be there  
When the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you

"Wow." was the only thing I could say once the song was over. I looked over at him, he smiled widely. I blinked several times, still not believing this was happening. "That was…wow."

"Is 'wow' the only word you can use to describe my singing?" he laughed, still fooling around with the piano keys, his eyes locking with mine. "You can tell me I was horrible, I don't mind."

"Oh, no! No, no, no." I shook my head, suddenly blushing more. "You weren't horrible. Not at all. You were…fantastic."

"Fantastic, huh?" he said, taking the compliment into consideration. He finally looked away, releasing me from his gaze.

"Don't let it go to your head, now." I replied jokingly, "But yes, fantastic." My hair, straightened today, served as an excellent curtain, hiding my embarrassed eyes and scarlet face from his eyes.

"Well, thank you. I don't sing much. My dad never approved of it." he answered; his voice filled with regret and sorrow. "But you, Aubrey…you're amazing. Unbelievable, even. Where does that voice even come from? You're so quiet. I never expected you to be so absolutely incredible." _It can't be possible for my face to get any redder now, can it?_

"I…no…I'm not that great." I whisper quietly, fiddling with my fingers, afraid to meet his eyes once again. "Rayna…she's good. I'm not, though."

"Aubrey…" he pushed my hair gently behind my ear, and forced me to look at him again. I sighed, innocently. "You are amazing, even if you don't want to believe me. I've heard Rayna a thousand times, and you…you're better…" the bell rang loudly throughout the school. We both jumped up, realizing how long we had been here.

"I…I gotta go." was the last thing I said before running off the stage, and out the double doors at the end of the red carpet, leaving Ben standing on the stage, alone in the spotlight. I ran my fingers through my shoulder-length brown hair, trying to figure out what had just happened. The crowd from lunch walked in the opposite direction as I, and I struggled to push through to my locker. Nearly tripping, I caught myself against the lockers. I spun the blue combination lock on my locker around and around, failing to remember the password that I had been entering since September. Sighing, I rested my head against the locker, frustrated.

"Hey!" Rayna's voice came from behind me, making me jump. I spun around, giving her a fake smile. "Where were you at lunch?"

"Oh, in the auditorium. I wanted some time to think, you know…I can't really do that in the cafeteria." I answered, turning back to my locker, still not able to recall the combination. "You don't happen to know my combination, do you?" Rayna closed her eyes, laughing. Pushing me out of the way, she turned the lock to the right then the left and then the right once again; the locker opened immediately.

"What's got you so anxious today?" Rayna spun around, facing me and blocking me from my now-opened locker. Her blue-grey eyes locking with mine, silently communicating, searching for answers. I smile, the fake smile that never seems to fool her no matter how hard I try.

"Nothing, Ray." I say, not convincing her at all. She crosses her arms across her chest. "Honestly. Nothing. I promise." Pushing her to the side slightly, I grab everything I need to go home. Still feeling Rayna's gaze on me, I turn around to face her once my locker is closed again.

"Whatever you say, Aubrey." she answers at last, "but you know I'll get it out of you eventually, so I don't understand why you just don't tell me now."

"There's seriously nothing to tell." I repeat again, but with another glance up into her eyes, I can't stand not telling her what just happened in the auditorium only minutes earlier. "Well, maybe there's something."

"Hah! I knew it!" she replies, smile spread wide across her face; she always wins, always, "Now, what is it?"

"Um…I was in the auditorium singing with Ben Czarnecki." I said in a rush, jumbling the words together, even though I knew by the look on her face that she understood every word.

"Oh, my god! What?" Rayna screamed; people close by turned to stare. The bell rang once again, echoing through the halls, letting us all know that we could now go home. She looked at me expectantly.

"I have to go! Text you later!" I ran down the hall, Rayna staring after me, knowing that there would be many questions later and I'd definitely have to pay for that last move. Pushing the double doors, my only escape from this place, I ran outside, the sun shining bright on that eighteenth day of December.

**Haha, well, there you go! I know, it's short again, but it's a chapter! (: I won't be so long with the next one; in fact, I'm starting it right after this is posted! Oh, and the song used in this story was "At The Beginning" from the musical Anatastia. Lol. And yes, I know this isn't what was originally planned for this chapter.. this was supposed to be Rayna's chapter, but Victoria had writer's block and couldn't write it, so I just wrote it. Lol. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter, the next one will be up asap! And, as always: REVIEW PLEASE!**


	9. Arrival

**Yes, yes, I know. I promised you this chapter over a month ago. but I've been busy, and I somehow lost the document.. So, I had to write it over again. I'm sorryyyyy! But hey, this is the chapter everyone has kinda been waiting for! Ashley's finally coming. Lol. Without further adieu, here's the next chapter of **_**Tied Down…**_

_**Aubrey's POV**_

_**Friday Afternoon**_

I tap my pink pencil impatiently on the desk; people around me turned to stare again, hoping that their stares would cue me to stop. This was my last class of the day—Health—before I got to see Aunt Ash again. My teacher, Ms. Bruno, lectured emotionlessly at the front of the room about drugs and alcohol…the same stuff we've been learning about since fourth grade. Glancing at the clock, I tossed my pencil onto the desk, frustrated. _Ten more minutes…just ten more minutes._ The half day yesterday was pointless and idiotic; who gives a half-day and then a full day the next, right before Christmas vacation? My light brown hair was straightened today, a rare occasion. In the midst of twirling my bangs between my fingers, my cell phone vibrated in my pocket, loudly.

"Miss Miller, no phones! You know the rules. Just because it's almost time for Christmas break, doesn't mean…," the chime I had been waiting for all day finally echoed loudly through the school, cutting off the new lecture I was now receiving. In a hurried mess, the room full of eager students grabbed their bags and pushed out the door. Laughing from the look I got from Ms. Bruno, I pulled my phone out to see who exactly had texted me.

**NEW TEXT MESSAGE FROM: Rayna!**

**To: Aubrey**

**heyyy. you ready for break?!**

As I prepared to click reply, I looked up to find Rayna standing in front of me. Her blonde hair, recently cut to her shoulders, looked perfect, as usual. I pointed in the general direction of my locker, and we fell into step, silently walking, as the hallway filled with voices talking of vacations and holiday plans. Twisting and turning my combination into the lock, I shoved binder after binder into the cramped locker. Rayna rambled about her day and how we had to get together over break and she had my present for me at her house, I'd get it soon, but then, suddenly, she stopped talking. I spun around, only to find Ben standing there.

"I'll see you later, Aubrey. You're getting a ride home, right?" Rayna whispered in a rush.

"Yeah, my aunt's coming. Text me later." with one last goodbye, and a hug, Rayna walked away; looking back more than once, smiling at the sight of Ben and I standing together, in the nearly empty hallway. "So…hey." I finally said, with a small smile.

"Hey." he laughed, and ran his fingers through his hair. The double doors at the entrance of the school slammed close once more, leaving us standing, alone in the long, white hallways. He glanced outside and then back at me, "Want to go sit outside? I have to wait for my ride, too." I blushed a light shade of pink, but nodded, a smile on my face. As we walked through the messy hallways that we had long since grown sick of, I focused on the sound my white flip-flops made as they clapped loudly against the tile floors. The sun hit my face when Ben opened the doors for me, I squinted against the bright, California sun as my eyes adjusted from the artificial school lighting they had been so used to for the past seven hours. We made our way down the stairs, and he sat down in the very middle, patting the empty space next to him with his hand. Tentatively, I sat down. It was awkward, you could feel it; I had no idea what to say. This was easier when the piano was between us. Ben sighed again, as he pulled his vibrating phone out of his pocket. Flipping it open, he put the out-dated phone to his ear to talk to whoever it was calling him. "Hey, mom. Yeah, I'm waiting outside. Where are you? No, no...mom, I can't wait that long. I have my guitar lesson in a half hour, remember?" He paused; I could hear the woman on the other end of the phone talking, muffled but loud. "Okay, so, can you be here in ten minutes? Good, thanks. See you then." With that, he hung up.

"What, did your mom forget about you?" I said with a laugh, trying to start a conversation. He laughed, his blonde hair falling in front of his eyes as he did so.

"Something like that. She's just so busy with the holidays coming up, and thought I was taking the bus home." he shrugged it off, "Parents, what are you gonna do with 'em?" he responded again, chuckling to himself. Then, he turned to me, flipping his hair, "And what about you? Where's your ride?"

"Oh, well, my aunt's supposed to pick me up today. She lives in L.A. I don't know where she is, though." I answered, playing with the under layers of my hair. "She's always late. Doesn't really focus on little details like picking up her only niece from school on time, but she's the best."

"That's cool. She lives in L.A.? Is she an actress or something?" he asked the only question that's ever asked when I mention Aunt Ash, not that I knew the answer to it at all.

"Yeah, she does commercials and stuff. She used to be really famous, but she doesn't do much anymore." that's the only answer I could ever give, although I wish I could give so much more. He dropped the subject quickly, and moved onto other things: guitar, Christmas break, our horrible English teacher. More time past, and I didn't even notice when the red convertible pulled up at the curb with Aunt Ash sitting in the driver's seat, smiling and waving. "That's my aunt." I stood up, getting ready to leave.

"Here, put your number in." Ben said, handing me the phone. I quickly punched in my number and hit save. "Great. I'll text you." a smile passed over his face and mine.

"Okay. Bye!" and after one more smile, I ran down the school staircase, and jumped into the car with Ash. I tossed my bag into the back of her car, where her multiple suitcases still sat. We began driving away before I could greet her; at the next stop sign, I wrapped my arms around her in a hug, and squealed, "Aunt Ash! I've missed you!"

"I've missed you, too, Peanut!" she hugged back, then let go to continue driving. Reaching across to touch my hair, driving with one hand, Ashley smiled. "Look at your hair! I really like it straight. Is it shorter?" We talked about everything from my hair to my grades to what I wanted for Christmas--everything and anything, as Aunt Ash always we arrived home, Dad was loading his and Mom's luggage into the back of his car; he saw us approach and smiled. Slamming the trunk of his car, his rushed to Aunt Ash once she parked in the driveway.

"Ashley, how are you?" he engulfed her in a hug, making her look smaller than usual compared to him. They both laughed once the hug was over, and she smoothed her hair again, seeing as Dad messed it up.

"I'm great, Zac. I've missed you guys. It's been way too long!" she hugged him again, that was the way Ash was; always happy, hugs all around, and she never stopped smiling and laughing. Her laugh had always been one of my favorite and earliest memories of her; she'd tilt her head back at a slight angle, clos her eyes, and place her hand on her stomach. "Where's Vanessa?"

"Inside, I think. Making sure the house is perfect for our favorite guest to stay in for the next week, even though I know that you aren't going to keep it this clean." Dad answered, his blue eyes shining as he smiled. He looked over at me, walking over to kiss the top of my head. "Hey, Aub. Let's get you two inside, I'll carry your stuff, Ash." The three of us walked the short staircase up to our wrap-around white porch, and into the house. "Nessa? Honey, where are you? Ashley's here." At the sound of her name, we heard the door upstairs slam shut loudly and Mom came running down the steps, smiling.

**_Vanessa's POV_**

"Nessa!" Ashley screamed when I reached the bottom of the stairs. She hugged me tight, like she always did, and I hugged back. "Oh, my gosh! Did you miss me or what?" I laugh at her question, thinking she would say she missed me, but knowing perfectly well that this was a classic Ashley greeting.

"Oh, did I ever!" the two of us smiled and laughed again; I look over at my husband and daughter, both giving us strange looks. "Zachary, you should be used to this by now!" He nodded his head; walking over, I kiss his cheek. Ashley and Aubrey begin to laugh.

"Alright, alright. Enough of that, you'll have time to do that once you're in Hawaii. Speaking of which, let's go! Airport time!" Ashley squealed, jumping up and down. Without having time to protest, Ash shoved us all out the door and into the car. Zac put the car into drive, I looked out the window longingly back at the house, as Ash and Aubrey talked and laughed like they hadn't been separated for seven months. Soon we arrived at the Burbank Airport; Zac and I checked in and went straight to baggage claim, Ashley and Aubrey trailing steps behind us the whole time. I was secretly thankful Ash was able to pull a few strings in order to help the two of us get through the airport, and to have Aubrey here to say goodbye to before we boarded the plane.

"Flight 814 to Honolulu, now boarding." the attendent's voice echoed over the intercom. Grabbing my carry-on and Zac's hand, we said our goodbyes to Aubrey and Ashley. Then, with several looks back at their smiling faces waving back, we boarded the plane. Sitting at a window seat in first class, I close my eyes and all I can see is Aubrey's chocolate brown eyes staring back, smiling. A fear at the pit of my stomach is telling me that once we return, those eyes aren't going to hold the same look they did during our goodbye. When I get back, everything I have worked so hard to hide will have been found...and everything will have changed.

**Hehee, sorry. That's my stopping point for now. I'll try to update soon, but I can't make promises and for that, I'm very sorry. I just hope these are worth the wait. You readers are the reason I continue, so, as long as you review, I'll keep updating! **


	10. Sleeping with a Smile

**Oh goodness, it's been a while. I'm really terribly sorry; I've just been so busy! I've been in three different shows (had two leads) since I last updated, and I've been working really hard on another story (titled Skin, check it out on fictionpress, my username is on my homepage) and my poetry/song-writing. But alas, that is no excuse, and I'm very sorry. Thanks to BabiiVFanForeva, I'm back and so is this story! As always, enjoy and review! xo –Cass.**

_**Aubrey's POV**_

It was late by the time we got home that night; that's how it always was when Aunt Ash came to visit. We'd spend hours at the mall, or the beach, or just driving around, talking and laughing, not getting home until eleven or later. After we dropped Mom and Dad off at the airport, we came back to the house, showered and changed, then hoped back into Ash's convertible and hit the town for the night. Aunt Ash loved being in the city at night, especially during Christmas. Sure, California didn't get any snow, but the decorations were beautiful nonetheless. It seemed everywhere we looked there were sparkly lights and big red bows hanging from windows, and Christmas trees with fake presents wrapped in brightly colored paper placed beneath them.

We walked the sidewalks together downtown, shopping bags in one hand and chai lattes in the other. I looked over at Aunt Ash and couldn't help but smile; it'd been so long since I had seen her last, and being able to spend this much time with her was wonderful. How she ever managed to get my parents away for almost the entire break was a complete mystery to me, but then again, Ash had always had a way of convincing mom and dad to do what she wanted.

"Hey, you hungry, Peanut?" Aunt Ash suddenly said as we continued to walk aimlessly around the city. "I'm starved. I'm thinking sushi, how 'bout you?" I nodded excitedly; she knew sushi was my favorite. In fact, Aunt Ash was the one who introduced me to sushi, when I was five. She tossed her empty Starbuck's cup into the nearest trash can, and grabbed my hand, leading me to our favorite sushi place on the corner of San Fernando Blvd. and Orange Grove Ave. We were seated immediately, as all the employees know who Aunt Ash is, in our normal booth in the back of the restaurant. After putting in drink orders, Aunt Ash leaned back comfortably in the booth and smiled. "I've missed you, Aubrey. We need to catch up big time, so start talking."

"Well, I got the lead in the musical at my school. It was the first time I had even performed, Aunt Ash! The director loved me and said I was amazing! This kid, Josh, he's a sophomore, is playing my love interest. He's really good. And Rayna—you remember her?—she's playing the popular girl who doesn't like me. Have you ever seen the show? It's apparently a movie, too, but my dad said it's better I don't see it because the musical is different and I wouldn't want to copy the character completely." I was rambling, and I knew it but I couldn't help it. I had so much to tell her about. Aunt Ash sat listening, though, nodding and smiling to let me know she was still listening and I knew she was.

"That's really great, Peanut. I'll have to try to come in and see the show. It's in March, right? I'll try my best to be there. I wouldn't want to miss my favorite girl's first show!" She grinned and laughed as our drinks were placed in front of us. "Enough about the show, though; what else is going on? Any boys?" That was her favorite topic.

"There might be…you know…maybe…" I could feel my cheeks turning bright red just thinking about it, and Aunt Ash's smile grew ten times wider and she leaned forward, elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands, which pretty much translated to: slip. "Well, his name is Ben. He's in my grade, and I've known him since like, fifth grade. He plays baseball, but apparently he also knows how to play the piano and sing, too. He's so sweet and funny, and he has the most gorgeous green eyes and…" I was saying way too much, and I stopped abruptly, turning a deeper shade of scarlet. Aunt Ash just laughed.

"It sounds like you like this boy a lot. Am I right in guessing that?" She asked, but she didn't need an answer, she knew she was right. We had to pause the conversation as the waiter came to take our order, asking us if we wanted the usual: shrimp tempura and cucumber rolls for me and California rolls and spicy tuna for Ash. Once he walked away, she looked at me again, and said: "So, does he like you?"

"I…I don't know…I don't think so…" I sighed, taking time to think about the situation. To be completely honest, I had no idea what was going on with Ben and I. Sure, we exchanged numbers and sang together, but that didn't mean anything, did it? Then again, he was the only guy to ever pay attention to me and not Rayna, could that mean something? I shook my head; no, it didn't mean a thing.

"Oh, Peanut, you are just like your mother!" Ash titled her head back as she laughed. I wrinkled my nose in detest; everyone always said that: "Aubrey, you look just like your mom." Or "You and your mother are so much alike, Aubrey!" I didn't understand why, my mom and I couldn't be more different. "She never believed a boy could like her, either. She probably wouldn't even be with your dad had it not been for me and some of the others…" Ash stopped herself quickly from continuing, without explanation. I opened my mouth to question it, but just as I did, the food was placed on the table; we ate our food in silence, before paying and heading home for the night.

_**Later that night**_

I lay awake in bed; it was nearly three in the morning. What had Aunt Ash been talking about in the restaurant? She seemed so determined to just avoid the topic of _High School Musical_ and my parents' past. I mean, everyone always had, but why? It didn't make any sense. In mid thought, however, I was interrupted by the loud vibrating of my EnV coming from somewhere under my pink bedspread. I dug underneath the blankets, searching for it, all while wondering: _who on earth was texting me at three in the morning?_ Finally I found it, and was rather confused when the front screen held a number that I didn't know. Rubbing my eyes, trying to adjust to the light, I clicked the **view **button, and nearly squealed with surprise when the message read:

**Heyy Aubrey, it's Ben. You awake?**

Quickly, I pressed respond, smiling brightly; of course I was awake!

**To: Ben Czarnecki**

**Hey Ben. Yeah, I'm awake. **

I clicked send and saved his number in my phone, holding it close as I waited for a reply. Not even three minutes later, it vibrated loudly in my hand. It did this for almost the rest of the night as we texted back and forth, talking about nothing at all. I glanced at the clock finally, and noticed that…oh god, it was six in the morning! We had been talking for over three hours, and still hadn't run out of things to say. Turns out, we had a lot in common. As much as I loved talking to him, I was exhausted, so reluctantly, I told him we probably should get some sleep, but we could talk more tomorrow, if he wanted. I began dosing off, but not before the phone vibrated one last time as I received the message that said:

**To: Aubrey**

**Hah, I was thinking the same thing. I'll text you tomorrow. Goodnight, Aubrey. (:**

I fell asleep with a smile on my face just as the sun began to rise outside my pink and purple curtains covering my bay window.

_**Vanessa's POV**_

We landed in Hawaii without a problem, and made it to the hotel room within an hour. Ash had gotten us a suite, it had to have cost her a fortune, and I knew this for a fact because well, Zac and I had stayed here before. I smiled to myself at the memory; it was before we were married, I had only been eighteen, and we had had a wonderful time. There was paparazzi following us everywhere during those three days, but we didn't care; we were together and that was all that mattered. As he closed the door behind us when we walked into the room, I went and sat on the edge of the bed, just realizing then how tired I was. Zac walked over and sat down next to me, putting his arms around me in a gentle hug. I smiled sleepily up at him.

"I love you. You know that, right?" He whispered as he kissed my forehead, and brushed my dark curly hair out of my chocolate brown eyes. I did know that, I didn't have to confirm it. I just snuggled in closer to him and felt his arms around me; every thing was perfect. We were together, on a vacation, completely carefree for the first time in fourteen years. Without even bothering to change into pajamas, he pulled down the bedspread and we crawled under together, and we fell asleep in each other's arms within minutes, just like we had before Aubrey came into our lives.

With Zac by my side, completely relaxed, I slept with a smile on my face, and had not even noticed the fact that, before we entered the privacy of the hotel room, a camera flash had gone off multiple times, capturing our every move…

**Anddddd that's where I'm stopping for now! I know, you hate me. Hahaha. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and the next one will be up soon, I PROMISE! In the meantime, reviews make me smile. :D**


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